UP: Dussehri, King Of Mangoes, to cost dear this time as production drops

Lucknow: Change in weather conditions, insect attack and hailstorms has affected the mango production in Uttar Pradesh this year. The poor crop of Dussehri and other varieties of mangos has shattered the hoses of traders who were expecting good business this time after two dull years due to covid.

In the mango belt of UP, Kakori & Malihabad the Dussehri crop is poor compared to previous years. Due to less production, the traders have been expecting Dussehri rates to be higher this season.

The early arrival of summer at the time of flowering of mango and later on attack of insects has destroyed the crop of not only Dussehri but other varieties of UP such as Langda, Chausa and Safeda. The hailstorm in the recent days too has destroyed crop up to some extent.

According to the wholesale mango traders the rates of Dussehri is likely to open at Rs 50-60 per kilogram this year and it could go further high in the retail market. There had been bumper production of Dussehri in the fruit belt of UP for the last three consecutive years. However, this year due to rise in temperature at the time flowering affected the crop.

According to a prominent mango grower and nursery owner of Malihabad, UP, Shabihul Hasan barely half of Dussehri trees in the area have fruits this time and similar is the condition of other varieties such as Langda, Chausa and Safeda.

He said that last years there was hardly any export of mango of from UP due to covid impact and hence traders had to suffer. Due to lockdown in peak season, the Dussehri could not be dispatched to even the big cities like Mumbai and Delhi in the last two years.

He said that despite good crop last year there were few takers while the scene has reversed this time. This time the product might drop up to 50 per cent compared to last season.

Another mango trader, Hakim Trivedi said that during normal season the annual turnover of mangos from UP used to be around Rs 2400 to 2500 crore. However, in the last years it could not go beyond Rs 800 to Rs 1000 crore due to lockdown.

This year too the trade would be dull due to poor crop. The crop area of mango in the fruit belt of Kakori-Malihabad adjoining Lucknow is around 27000 hectares.